| The statues and figurines of Buddha we see all | | | | Buddha’s passage into death or Nirvana, as the |
| around us are the statues of Shakyamuni Siddhartha | | | | disciples, angles and gods bade farewell to never |
| Gautama the “Buddha” who was born in | | | | returner Shakyamuni Buddha. Medicine Buddha statue |
| Kapilavastu, an ancient province of Nepal, as the son | | | | symbolizes the belief that Buddha parted knowledge |
| of king Suddhodana and Queen Maya Devi. The | | | | on medicine along with spiritual guidance. |
| Queen had few auspicious dreams before the lord | | | | The Mudras or postures of Hands of the Shakyamuni |
| entered her womb from the Tushita heaven. | | | | Buddha figures are either in abhaya (Fearlessness), |
| As Prince Siddhartha Gautama came to the age 28 | | | | Dhyana (meditation), Dharmachakra Parivartana |
| he renounced the kingdom and lived the life of a | | | | (turning of the wheel of Dharma or doctrine or |
| mendicant. He sought and attained enlightenment in | | | | religion) and Bhumisparsa (calling the earth goddess to |
| six years under a pipala tree and became a Buddha, | | | | witness the touching of the earth by the right hand) |
| in Bodhgaya. After enlightenment he uttered this | | | | Buddha statues are hand made and thus they are |
| stanza: | | | | artisan’s labour of Love, or a loving heart and |
| “Through many births I have passed the builder | | | | moving hands giving them shapes in definite postures. |
| of the house of pain is gone and I am free from any | | | | The earliest representations of Buddha were mounds |
| more births” | | | | erected on the relics of Buddha, also known as |
| Shakyamuni Buddha preached dharma through out his | | | | “Stupa”. The external decorations on the |
| life and the light of the world had gone out and lord | | | | stupas display the entire life of the Buddha from |
| passed away into Nirvana at an old age of over 80. | | | | leaving home to enlightenment and to |
| Talking of Buddha statues & figurines, the statues of | | | | Mahaparinirvana. |
| Buddha are found in a wide variety of poses, the | | | | The largest and tallest Buddha statues were found in |
| most common of all the type is the sitting Buddha | | | | Afghanistan which were colossal in size and have |
| statue in a lotus position. The posture displays inner | | | | been much recently destroyed by the Taliban’s. |
| and outer balance and tranquillity. In meditating | | | | The Statues of Buddha in Nepal are generally made |
| Buddha statues the posture of the hand or the | | | | out of gold, granite, bronze, copper, brass, resin, |
| mudra, have the fingers of the right hand resting | | | | silver, ceramic, wood, etc. And, they are put on sale |
| lightly on the left as they lay in the enlightened | | | | in a fine work of display in Thamel and Durbar Square |
| one’s lap and legs are crossed in a Lotus position. | | | | in the ancient city of Kathmandu in Nepal or sold in |
| Many Buddha statues sit on a pedestal in a lotus | | | | various online Buddha Statues store like at wholesale |
| blossom which represents the enlightened being or | | | | or retail. The standing Buddha statues with flowering |
| emptiness. | | | | robes is also common. And Buddha heads and hands |
| Another posture is the Abhaya mudra in which the | | | | are also found for sale. |
| right hand is raised and is the gesture of dispelling | | | | All these meanings behind the Buddha statues bring |
| fear. Statues calling the earth to bear witness are | | | | forth the memories of the enlightened master who |
| represented by postures where the right hand is | | | | once walked upon this earth 2500 years ago. In |
| touching the earth below, which displays total faith. | | | | other words they are reminiscences of the |
| And, finally the reclining Buddha statue represents | | | | “Grand Master”. |